What's in a Name?

What’s in a name? Is there anyone anywhere who made it through junior year of high school who doesn’t know that quote? Yah - you may have forgotten WHY you know it but at least you know it. So OK. I’ll save you an embarrassing question to the A lady or the S lady or that Google lady (she must have a name of some kind). It’s from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Now you remember? And it continues, “ that which we call a rose by any other word would smell as sweet”. Juliet is basically saying it doesn’t matter what Romeo’s family name is because she would love him with any name. But Juliet never had to deal with social media.

Social media does a lot for us. For some it creates friends and business contacts

. For others it validates their political or religious views. Some of us sell products and become successful “influencers”. And for many of us it allows easy access to world leaders and news. But social media also allows us to hide our real names with aliases. To become someone else - who spews four letter words, hateful comments and misinformation. Think Twitter even before Elon Musk took it over. Think TikTok. Think YouTube. Think Instagram and Discord. I could go on.

If no one knows who you are, you can say anything. You can’t be embarrassed by your stupidity. You can’t be held responsible for your intolerance. Or your hateful words which deeply wound others. Because you - the real person - never has to take ownership of the words you use.

I really like NAMES. I really like to KNOW names. Everywhere and anywhere. And ESPECIALLY on social media. Perhaps it’s my previous life as a reporter - always trying to get anyone I asked about anything to put their name on it. In other words, OWN it. People posting about facts use real names. You can look at their profiles. See their credentials. They’re willing to OWN what they say because they’ve researched and verified the information

If everyone who posted ANYTHING on ANY social media platform had to post directly under their own names, I’m almost totally sure most of what turns many of us off on social media - or worse, causes someone who’s young and vulnerable to feel worthless - would never be said. Or written. I’m talking to you Meta. And you Google. And especially you X. I’d be talking to you TikTok also - except I might have to pay a tariff first.

What’s in a name? Think about it.